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Customer Torches NYC Deli With Gas

An apparently drunk man who wanted to buy cigars at a Bronx deli but didn't have the cash got chased out of the store, then returned with a gas can and set it on fire, law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation tell News 4. Marc Santia reports.

(Published Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018)

What to Know

A man tried to set a Bronx deli on fire after getting into a dispute with the worker there, police say

No injuries were reported in the fire in the Wakefield section, but the blaze did cause minor injuries

The man fled, and the worker was able to put the fire out; witnesses are urged to call investigators with tips

An apparently drunk man who wanted to buy cigars at a Bronx deli but didn't have the cash got chased out of the store, then returned with a gas can and set it on fire, law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation tell News 4.

Law enforcement sources say the 20-something-year-old customer asked the clerk at the deli on White Plains Road in Wakefield if he could have the smokes and come back later to pay for them. The clerk refused. They started arguing and the clerk chased the customer out of the store, the sources said.

Police say this is the man who tried to burn down the deli.
Photo credit: NYPD

That all happened around 6 a.m. Sunday. Later that day, the customer came back and torched the store, officials say.

The worker was able to put the fire out. No injuries were reported, but the blaze caused minor damage, police said.